‘Miles of room to grow’: Johnnie Walker on finding growth as a category leader
Despite being one of the world’s biggest spirits brands, Johnnie Walker is not “eking out inches” of growth and sees plenty of potential for continued expansion, says its global brand director.
Johnnie Walker is the world’s best-selling Scotch whisky brand. In value terms, it was the number one international spirits brand in 2023, as measured by the IWSR, and accounts for more than one-fifth of Scotch whisky sold globally.
The brand is the biggest in parent company Diageo’s portfolio. What Johnnie Walker has done as a brand and in its category is aspirational to many of the company’s other brands, for example, CEO Debra Crew last year said the company aspired to take tequila around the world the way the brand had with Scotch whisky.
But while Johnnie Walker is a brand established over two centuries ago, and is a name almost synonymous with its category, this does not put a cap or ceiling on its growth potential, says global brand director Jennifer English.
“There’s endless room for us to grow,” she states. “It’s not like we’re eking out inches, there’s still miles.”
